Abstract
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) convened a stakeholder workshop on March 4–6, 2020 with scientists and representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), regulators, and offshore wind developers. The workshop was designed to inform the development of a scientific research framework to guide the long-term study of potential effects to birds and bats from offshore wind energy development in the eastern United States. Workshop discussions focused on reviewing existing knowledge, identifying priority questions, developing hypotheses for different types of effects, and identifying data collection and analytical methods to test hypotheses. A small group of subject matter experts (SME) with taxonomic, methodological, and/or statistical scientific expertise (appendix B) will lead the continued development of the research framework following the meeting. The scientific research framework will identify key questions on the effects of offshore wind construction and operations on birds and bats, as well as identifying research hypotheses, study methods, and conceptual research projects to answer the key questions. The goal of the framework is to inform future research and monitoring efforts, including the direction of future research funding, and to help ensure that future studies are (1) focused on key priorities and (2) are designed appropriately to improve the state of knowledge.